Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of the Special Issue is to provide an up-to-date summary of research in Environmental Magnetism. Current topics in the field includes advances in techniques related to the availability of new instrumentation or new knowledge about mineral magnetism, as well as a wide range of applications in which magnetic measurements are used, often alongside other techniques, to shed light on issues such as human impact on landscapes, climate change, sediment and dust sourcing, sediment diagenesis and particulate pollution. Much of this work rests on gaining the best possible insight into the magnetic mineralogy and grain size variations responsible for the properties recorded. The magnetic mineralogy of environmental materials such as sediments, dusts and soils, both modern and fossil, is often complex: therefore, contributions that advance the interpretation of natural magnetic mineral assemblages will be especially welcome. Contributions are also invited that highlight progress in the applications of the methodology to addressing environmental problems.

Prof. Dr. Frank OldfieldDr. Ramon EgliGuest Editors

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 600 CHF (Swiss Francs).
English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

Abstract: Bulk magnetic properties of soils and sediments are often sensitive proxies for environmental change but commonly require interpretation in terms of the different sources of magnetic minerals (or components) that combine to generate them. Discrimination of different components in the bulk magnetic record is often attempted through endmember unmixing and/or high resolution measurements that can require intensive measurement plans, assume linear additivity, and sometimes have difficulty in discriminating a large number of sources. As an alternative, magnetic measurements can be made on isolated sediment fractions that constitute the bulk sample. When these types of measurements are taken, heterogeneity is frequently observed between the magnetic properties of different fractions, suggesting different magnetic components often associate with different physical grain sizes. Using a particle size-specific methodology, individual components can be isolated and studied and bulk magnetic properties can be linked to, and isolated from, sedimentological variations. Deconvolving sedimentary and magnetic variability in this way has strong potential for increased understanding of how magnetic fragments are carried in natural systems, how they vary with different source(s), and allows for a better assessment of the effect environmental variability has in driving bulk magnetic properties. However, despite these benefits, very few studies exploit the information they can provide. Here, I present an overview of the different sources of magnetic minerals, why they might associate with different sediment fractions, how bulk magnetic measurements have been used to understand the contribution of different components to the bulk magnetic record, and outline how particle size-specific magnetic measurements can assist in their better understanding. Advantages and disadvantages of this methodology, their role alongside bulk magnetic measurements, and potential future directions of research are also discussed.

Abstract: Among the diverse research fields and wide range of studies encompassed by environmental magnetism, the present work elaborates on critical aspects of the geochemistry of trace metals that emerged through years of original research in a variety of environmental compartments. This review aims at sharing the insights gained on (a) tracing metal pollution sources; and (b) identifying processes and transport pathways from sources to depositional environments. Case studies on the Elefsis Gulf (Greece) and the Gulf of Lions (France) demonstrate the potential of combined magnetic measurements and chemical analysis to trace pollution signals resulting from land-based sources and atmospheric deposition. Case studies on estuarine environments, namely the Louros, Acheloos, and Asopos Estuaries (Greece), address modes of trace metal behavior under the influence of different hydrological regimes and elucidate in situ processes within the transitional estuarine zone, that define their ultimate fate. As sources, transport pathways, and processes of trace metals are fundamental in environmental management assessments, the involvement of magnetic measurements in the policy cycle could facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate regulatory measures for the integrated management of river basins, coastal, and marine areas.

Abstract: The diagenetic evolution of the magnetic minerals during burial in sedimentary basins has been recently proposed. In this study, we provide new data from the Grès d’Annot basin, SE France. We analyze fine-grained clastic rocks that suffered a burial temperature from ~60 to >250 °C, i.e., covering oil and gas windows. Low temperature magnetic measurements (10–300 K), coupled with vitrinite reflectance data, aim at defining the magnetic mineral evolution through the burial history. Magnetite is documented throughout the entire studied transect. Goethite, probably occurring as nanoparticles, is found for a burial temperature <80 °C. Micron-sized pyrrhotite is highlighted for a burial temperature >200 °C below the Alpine nappes and the Penninic Front. A model of the evolution of the magnetic assemblage from 60 to >250 °C is proposed for clastic rocks, containing iron sulfides (pyrite) and organic matter. This work provides the grounds for a better understanding of the magnetic properties of petroleum plays.